Street-by-Street: Tournai 1
One of Belgium’s oldest urban centres, Tournai has
origins dating back to 600 BC. A Roman city, it became
the focus of early Christian activity, beginning with St
Piat’s efforts in the 3rd century AD. Clovis I (AD 465–
511), King of the Franks and founder of the Merovingian
dynasty and the French royal line, was perhaps born
here. The much-venerated St Eleutherius was his first
bishop. Although badly damaged by German bombing
in World War II, Tournai’s long history is written into the
city centre. The awe-inspiring Cathédrale Notre-Dame,
the soaring belfry and the impressive Grand Place are
surrounded by old cobbled streets which provide a
constantly changing view of the city skyline.
180 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp268–9 and pp294–5
. Grand Place
The town square is bounded by numerous
17th-century façades and the cathedral’s
towers loom in the east. On the western side,
the Halle des Draps (Clothmakers’ Hall),
built in 1610, has a gilded façade. A statue
of Christine de Lalaing, local 16th-century
heroine, stands in the centre of the square.
Église St-Jacques
This 13th-century church
was built for pilgrims en
route to Santiago di
Compostela in Spain.Église St-Quentin
The grey-stone columns
and vaulting give this
12th-century church a
tranquil austerity. It was
restored in the 1960s,
following wartime dam-
age. Its greatest treasure
is the silver statue of Notre
Dame de la Treille (1724).KEY
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. Cathédrale
Notre-Dame
. The Belfry
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